A Day To Myself

When I woke up this morning, I realized something strange: I had no commitments, no appointments, and other than making dinner, no schedule to keep. 

Very, very strange.

So what did I do with a day all for me? 

My immediate challenge was to fight off the gloom of the first grey day in a long, long time. So I quickly grabbed two candle holders - this red one from a family of my students, and this one with the circles that I made - popped in a pair of fresh candles, and lit them. Much better.

As I ate my breakfast and considered my options, I thought about going on an adventure in Seattle, or taking a ferry ride, or visiting a sculpture park. 

But in the end, I decided that what I really wanted to do most was send off some packages. I'd been neglecting a few important mail-related tasks for weeks now, and concluded that I would be happiest if I used my time to finish them up and cross them off my To-Do list, once and for all.

Not much glamour in that choice, but lots of satisfaction.

So first things first, I needed to finish making one last graduation card for one of my former students. I meant to send it last June. Oops. 

Once I got the card put together, I set it aside to let the glue dry and turned my attention to some other items:

Two t-shirts for my graduating students who graduated last June, four postcards that I bought in July on my annual camping trip, and a journal for my favorite student at University of Arizona.

Once everything was bundled, addressed, and ready to fly, I hopped in the car and zipped over to my post office, before anything could deter me from my mission. I'm happy to report that I accomplished my goal: my packages and postcards are all underway at this very moment, and I only wish I could see the looks on their faces when my students, family and friends finally receive these long-overdue surprises.

Feeling the glow of accomplishment, I decided to top off my successful day with a few errands. 'Twas a grey and gloomy afternoon, as I already mentioned, and I was definitely missing the company of my old friend, summer. So I did what I always do when I want to lift my spirits; I grabbed my phone and started taking pictures.

This one perfectly captures the mood of the day. Blahhhhh. But I love how the photo turned out, as well as this one, taken at the same place during the same red light. One focuses on the trees, the other on the raindrops. They make a lovely pair.

I zoomed over to Whole Foods to buy some steaks for dinner, and on the way out, my eyes feasted, as they always do, on these spunky colored metal chairs. Surging with positive energy, I instantly decided today was finally the day to take their darling picture. I smile every time I look at this shot. 

One last errand at Target, to fill in a few more groceries for dinner. As I was walking back to my car, look what I found. Oh my gosh, if there is anything that makes me laugh, it's finding a banana peel in the road. Now that is what I call the perfect ending to a perfect day.